Thursday, October 31, 2024

PT-3 "Worship" (Matt. 28:17-18a)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/31/2024 9:09 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                                      Focus:  PT-3 “Worship”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                             Reference:  Matthew 28:17-18a

 

            Message of the verses:  “And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.  And Jesus came up and spoke to them saying,”

 

            I ended up talking about the “doubters” in my last SD, and I want to continue by saying that the identity of the ones who were doubters is not given by Matthew.  MacArthur adds “Because the eleven disciples are the only ones specifically mentioned in this passage, some interpreters insist that those who were doubtful were of that group.  But as already noted, it is probable that hundreds of other believers were also present.”  I have to say that before I read MacArthur’s commentary I thought that the only ones who were there were the disciples, but it makes perfect sense to me now that there were many, many, other believers there and so it was probably one of those as the disciples had by this time already seen the risen Lord on different occasions.

 

            Another thing that is not really explained and that is exactly what was doubted.  Now if the fact that Jesus’ resurrection was what is in question, then the doubters could not have included any of the eleven, as mentioned they had already seen the risen Lord and several occasions.  MacArthur writes “It seems most likely that the doubt concerned whether or not the person who appeared to them was actually the physically risen Christ or some form of imposter.  Out of that large group, only the eleven disciples and some of the women who had come to the tomb had seen the risen Christ.  Perhaps some of those in the back of the crowd could not see Jesus clearly and, like Thomas, were reluctant to believe such an amazing truth without firm evidence.”

 

            I have to say that sometimes the Word of God does not answer all the questions like this one, but it does answer all the questions about sin and salvation, so all you have to do in a case like this is to go to one of my favorite verses:  Deuteronomy 29:29 which says “"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.  I like to say that this verse says that God does not have to tell us everything, but what He does tell us we had better listen and obey.

 

            MacArthur goes on “As if to alleviate that doubt, Jesus graciously came up and spoke to them.  Whatever the doubt was and whoever the doubters were, as the Lord came nearer and as His familiar voice sounded in their ears once again, all uncertainty was erased.  Now those who had doubted fell down and joined the others in worship.”

 

            Now let me say at this point that I teach a very small Sunday school class and I have told them that I learned, (from whom I don’t remember now) that when I am speaking to them and am not sure that what I am teaching is true, (perhaps giving an example or something like that), that I am to stand on the side of the “pulpit” because I don’t actually know that what I am saying is truth.  Perhaps this last paragraph from MacArthur’s commentary could be one of the times when he was standing beside the pulpit, I don’t know for sure.

 

            He goes on to write “Nothing else now mattered.  It made no difference where they lived, what their heritage was, what their economic or social position was, or what their nationality was.  They were now in the presence of the living God.”  To that I say AMEN!

 

            One more important quote:  “The complete focus was on Christ.  That is the essence of true worship—single-minded, unhindered, and unqualified concentration on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  Not simply to the Corinthians, but to every person to whom he spoke and in every place he ministered, Paul ‘determined to know nothing among [them] except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified’ (1 Cor. 2:2).  In his own life the apostle was determined to ‘know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death’ (Phil. 3:20). Paul’s life was so totally Christ-centered that he could say with perfect sincerity, ‘For to me, to life is Christ, and to die is gain’ (Phil. 1:21).”

 

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I trust that the Lord will give me victory over temptations that I am going through and that I would have a totally Christ-centered life in Christ.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust that the Holy Spirit of God will give me victory over all temptations that I face.

 

10/31/2024 9:44 AM

 

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